Breath testing device

ABSTRACT

A breath testing device in the form of a mouthpiece comprising an air inlet tube and an air outlet tube secured together as a unit and adapted to be held in the mouth of a user with both tubes protruding therefrom. The outer end of the air outlet tube is bent upwardly and divided into nostril-fitting frusto-conical members whereby upon inhalation, the breath from the mouth is directed to the olfactory nerves of the user so that he may perceive the condition of his breath. An air inlet tube is secured to the air outlet tube and extends into the mouth and outwardly therefrom in open communication to the atmosphere to provide ventage to the interior of the mouth to replace air removed therefrom by inhalation.

United $13108 Patent 1 Leslie, Jr.

[ 51 Jan. 30, 1973 BREATH TESTING DEVICE Inventor: Andre Q. Leslig lr lioute 1, Box

4, Trout Lake, Wash. 98650 Filed: July 2, 1970 Appl. No.: 51,937

US. Cl. ..128/2 C, 128/199 Int. Cl. ..A6lb 10/00 Field of Search....l28/2 C, 2 11,139,140 N, 199

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1957 Dyer, Jr. ..128/2 C 7/1935 Decker l ..l28/2 C 8/1914 Stevens ..128/199 7/1905 Ramey ..128/199 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2/1904 France ..128/199 Primary Examiner Kyle L. Howell Attorney-James D. Givnan [57] ABSTRACT A breath testing device in the form of a mouthpiece comprising an air inlet tube and an air outlet tube secured together as a unit and adapted to be held in the mouth of a user with both tubes protruding therefrom. The outer end of the air outlet tube is bent upwardly and divided into nostril-fitting frusto-conical members whereby upon inhalation, the breath from the mouth is directed to the olfactory nerves of the user so that he may perceive the condition of his breath. An air inlet tube is secured to the air outlet tube and extends into the mouth and outwardly therefrom in open communication to the atmosphere to provide ventage to the interior of the mouth to replace air removed therefrom by inhalation.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 3 0 I973 ANDREW O. LESLIE JR- INVENTOR.

' ATT'Y BREATH TESTING DEVICE The invention relates particularly to a mouthpiece adapted for open communication with the interior of the mouth and nostrils of a user whereby he can determine the good or bad ordoriferous condition of his breath.

The principal objects of the invention are:

To provide a device which will enable a user to test his or her breath directly upon exhausting air from the mouth without interference from outside odors.

To provide a device of the character described which is simple, efficient, light-weight, durable, compact construction made of molded plastic.

To provide a device of the character described wherein the nostril inserts are selectively adjustable, vertically or laterally to provide airtight passage of the breath from the mouth to the nostrils.

The foregoing and other objects will become apparent as the construction and operation are more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the device operatively engaged with the mouth and the nose of a user.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device on an enlarged scale, partly in section as viewed along the line 2-2 of FIG. 3 and held in an operative position by the teeth of a user.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the left end of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of FIG. 4 showing the device in an operative position.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a further modification, and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of FIG. 6

With continuing reference to the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, and particularly FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 thereof, numeral 1 indicates generally the main body of the device comprising a hollow tubular member in open communication at one of its ends with the interior of the mouth 2 when held by the teeth shown in broken lines and the lips, not shown. The opposite or outer end of the tubular member 1 is molded into mergence as at 3 with two generally frustoconical members 4 and 5 which converge upwardly as shown in FIG. 3 and are tilted slightly rearward, as in FIG. 2, for comfortable insertion into the nostrils of a user as shown in FIG. 1. A hollow air intake tube 6 is bonded or otherwise secured in any suitable manner to the underside of the main tubular body member 1.

With the device in the operative position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be apparent that upon inhalation through the nose the breath from the mouth will be drawn through the tubular member 1, and the elements 4 and 5 to the olfactory nerves of the user whereby he may perceive by the excitation of those nerves the condition of his breath. The air intake tube 6, being open to the atmosphere will serve to provide ventage to the interior of the mouth to replace air removed by the inhalation.

The inner end of the main tubular body 1 is transversely apertured as at 7 to insure free passage of breath by inhalation in the event the inner end of tube 1 should become blocked or otherwise obstructed by contact with the ton ue of the user. The inner end of the air intake tube 6 erminates inwardly from the inner end of the main tube 1 to also prevent such obstruction.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, I dispense with the elements 4 and 5 of the first form and instead provide the upwardly and slightly rearwardly bent outer end 10 of tubular member 1A with a hollow cup-shaped member 11, firmly but frictionally mounted for vertical adjustment by means of a collar 12. The top rim of the cup-member is flanged inwardly as at 13 to provide an airtight bearing against the nostrils of the user when the tubular member 1A and its air intake tube 6A are fixedly held by the mouth of the user.

In the further modification, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, I provide two parallel hollow tubular members 16 and 17 secured together for a portion of their length by any suitable means and to an air intake tube 18. The forward portion of the tubes 16 and 17 are flexible as at 20-21 and provided with truncated frusto-conical members 22-23 which may be adjusted individually, forwardly or rearwardly as indicated by broken and dotted lines in FIG. 7.

The tubular members 1A, 16 and 17 are also transversely apetured as at 25 for the same purpose as that derived from their apertured counterparts in the other forms of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A breath testing unitary device operationally applicable to the mouth and nostrils of a user,

said device comprising in combination, a hollow air intake tubular member and hollow air outlet tubular members all integrated as a unitary mouth piece,

said device adapted to be held within the mouth of a user, said outlet tubular members being longer than said intake tubular member and adapted to extend into the mouth a distance different from the extension of said air intake tubular member into the mouth,

all of said tubular members adapted to extend outwardly from the mouth of the user, and

said outwardly extending air outlet tubular members bent upwardly and including means on said upwardly bent portions adapted for insertion into the nostrils of a user, whereby air drawn through said air intake tubular member to the interior of the mouth of the user by nasal inhalation will replace air removed from the mouth through said air outlet means to the nostrils of the user so that he may perceive the condition of his breath through the olfactory nerves of his nose.

2. A breath testing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein thesaid outwardly extending air outlet tubular members are flexible laterally, forwardly and rearwardly relative to each other.

i III i i 

1. A breath testing unitary device operationally applicable to the mouth and nostrils of a user, said device comprising in combination, a hollow air intake tubular member and hollow air outlet tubular members all integrated as a unitary mouth piece, said device adapted to be held within the mouth of a user, said outlet tubular members being longer than said intake tubular member and adapted to extend into the mouth a distance different from the extension of said air intake tubular member into the mouth, all of said tubular members adapted to extend outwardly from the mouth of the user, and said outwardly extending air outlet tubular members bent upwardly and including means on said upwardly bent portions adapted for insertion into the nostrils of a user, whereby air drawn through said air intake tubular member to the interior of the mouth of the user by nasal inhalation will replace air removed from the mouth through said air outlet means to the nostrils of the user so that he may perceive the condition of his breath through the olfactory nerves of his nose.
 1. A breath testing unitary device operationally applicable to the mouth and nostrils of a user, said device comprising in combination, a hollow air intake tubular member and hollow air outlet tubular members all integrated as a unitary mouth piece, said device adapted to be held within the mouth of a user, said outlet tubular members being longer than said intake tubular member and adapted to extend into the mouth a distance different from the extension of said air intake tubular member into the mouth, all of said tubular members adapted to extend outwardly from the mouth of the user, and said outwardly extending air outlet tubular members bent upwardly and including means on said upwardly bent portions adapted for insertion into the nostrils of a user, whereby air drawn through said air intake tubular member to the interior of the mouth of the user by nasal inhalation will replace air removed from the mouth through said air outlet means to the nostrils of the user so that he may perceive the condition of his breath through the olfactory nerves of his nose. 